Ready to rock and roll? Houbunsha’s Comic Fuz website initiated serialization for the spinoff manga for all the Bocchi the Rock! Fans! “Bocchi the Rock! Gaiden: Hiroi Kikuri no Fukazake Nikki” (Bocchi the Rock! Spinoff: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy Drinking Diary), a manga focused on the daily life of Kikuri Hiroi, the bassist of SICK HACK released on July 9.
The 25-year-old bassist is constantly anxious about her future, so she uses alcohol to drown the worries down. With new chapters dropping biweekly on Sundays, this manga promises to serve the perfect blend of music, drama, and a whole lot of booze-fueled adventures.
Bocchi the Rock!, written and illustrated by Aki Hamaji, debuted in 2017, and the genre of music anime hasn’t been the same since. Have you always wanted to start a band and make new friends? Well, imagine a show where you join a band and build new friendships; Bocchi the Rock! is basically that.
Previously released music anime such as K-On!, Nana, and Sound! Euphonium has already established itself as the A-class music anime to ever be released. Bocchi the Rock! received great success, but is it good enough to sit beside masterpieces like Your Lie in April?
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Bocchi the Rock!- Everything You Need to Know
Bocchi the Rock! Debuted as a guest work in Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara Max magazine in December 2017 before the manga received a full serialization in 2018. With five manga volumes already under its belt as of 2022, Bocchi the Rock! Has gained immense attention.
And the excitement doesn’t end there. At Sakura-Con 2023, Yen Press announced the English release of the beloved manga, with the first volume scheduled for release on October 17, 2023. So, international fans can finally read the manga!
Bocchi the Rock is essentially about a socially awkward introvert, Hitori Gotō, who wants to become a musician and make some friends. With luck and the power of the music Gods on her side, she’s invited by Nijika Ijichi to join the newly formed Kessoku Band.
Although the performances of the band are average at the start, the girls of the Kessoku Band use their passion for music to improve their talent and become the musicians they dreamed of becoming.
The anime is directed by Keiichirō Saitō and is produced by CloverWorks. Erika Yoshida writes the series’ scripts, Kerorira designs the characters, and Tomoki Kikuya composes the music. The opening theme song, Seishun Complex (Youth Complex), and the ending theme song, Distortion!!, are both performed by Kessoku Band.
The main cast of ‘Kessuko Band’ includes Hitori Gotō, voiced by Yoshino Aoyama, Nijika Ijichi, voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro, Ryō Yamada, voiced by Saku Mizuno, and Ikuyo Kita, voiced by Ikumi Hasegawa.
Worth a Watch?
Fall 2022 gave us both good and bad anime titles, and Bocchi the Rock! is undoubtedly one of the good releases. At the same time, fan favorites like Bleach and the highly anticipated Chainsaw Man adaptation were released in the Fall of 2022, Bocchi the Rock! Has managed to impress newcomers and veterans of the anime community.
At its core, Bocchi the Rock! Revolves around social anxiety and its deteriorating effects. The main character, Hitori “Bocchi” Gotoh, has grown up with insecurities, from struggling to fit in and being unable to make friends. She finally finds herself enjoying her life and doing what she loves most when she joins the Kessoku Band.
The animation and art in Bocchi the Rock! is remarkable, ensuring the emotions and interactions of the characters are perfectly delivered. The voice acting is fantastic; at times, the voice acting feels so real, and it, no doubt, makes me emotional.
This anime adaptation is slowly becoming a masterpiece, convincing us it’s worthy enough to stand amongst perfections like K-On!
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